Lonely Spirit
by lilysinthefall
Summary: Katie Winters is always lonely. Even when she joins the group of survivors led by Rick Grimes, that voice never leaves. It whispers, reminding her of who she's lost, what it wants her to do... DarylxOC
1. Chapter 1

****Author's Note***** I do not own the Walking Dead or any offiliated characters or plot. I own Katie Winters, Jake, Merissa Himley and this fanfiction itself. However much I would like to own the series, I do not and will not. This story is purely for entertainment, please do not leave nasty comments. Follow the golden rule and keep them to yourself. Enjoy ;)

"Shit."

The car rolled to a sputtering stop. Katie slammed her hands on the steering wheel. A few more choice words followed as she frantically tried to restart the engine. She'd been riding on E for the past two days. Her eyes scanned the area, fearful yet hopeful of other cars. She only needed just one car.

"Noooo." she allowed the wail to escape her lips. The deserted stretch of highway rendered no help at all. She sat back, thumping her head against the steering wheel. "Not now."

Katie's hazel eyes flicked open as she thought more. A deserted highway meant no freaks. Or crazies. Maybe it wasn't so bad. She sighed, clicking open the glove compartment and pulling out a strip of beef jerky.

"I hate jerky." she said aloud, chewing the dried meat forcefully. She was so tired, and cramped. Making sure the windows were up and the doors were locked, she crawled to the back seat of the red Probe, flipping it down to reveal a makeshift bed in the trunk. She crawled into the space, taking with her a bottle of water, some more of the jerky, and a Colt .45 long barrel. She turned the tarnished silver gun over in her hands. Katie remembered that stroke of luck; an opened safe in a house of three freaks. She twirled open the chamber. Only three bullets left. She sighed again, and pulled the seat back up behind her. She set the alarm on her watch for two hours from now; she couldn't afford to sleep longer than that. Not that she could if she tried. Katie curled up tight, the gun in her hand.

She woke to the soft beeping of the watch blearily. Katie moved slowly, listening hard for any sound. She waited ten minutes, then carefully pushed the back seat down and crawled back out of the trunk. Peeking her head above the door-line, she saw the highway was just as empty as it had been before. Stretching her long legs, Katie slid back into the driver's seat. She screwed her face up when the familiar splutter and croak of the engine greeted her ears.

"Goddammittohell." she muttered. Her lips twitched as she sat agitatedly thinking. "Where the hell am I going to get gas?"

She pulled the map out of the glove compartment, squinting at the tiny road names and numbers.

"Let's see, I was on I-65 South, but after Nashville..." Her voice trailed off as she recalled the flaming city. The screams. A sob caught in her throat, but she coughed instead. "After Nashville I changed to this road, which is...I-75...I think. God I miss my smartphone."

Tossing the map aside, Katie took a swig of water. She pondered the situation. She had enough food to last three more days. With the way she ate, she could probably make it last a day or so longer. Two days, then she would have to move. That would mean ditching the car. Her stomach turned at the thought. But until those days were up, she would stay put. And that meant entertainment.

Katie reached into the knapsack behind the seat and pulled out an old Gameboy Color, complete with games. She chose Tetris, smiling a little as she turned the game on and began to play. She got lost in it, several times coming close to losing, only to scrape away with another line. Her mind wandered, not settling on any one thought. And this way she was at peace, at least until the sun began to set, and the battery light began to flicker. Reluctantly she turned it off, and crawled once again into the trunk to sleep. Alarm set, gun ready, she drifted into a cramped and uneasy slumber.

When she awoke the next morning Katie new she could not wait around for three days in a car with no gas. Something was bound to go wrong. She lay in the darkness of the hot trunk, thinking. The next town was miles away, she probably wouldn't get to it before the sun set. Which was almost too dangerous to risk. But she needed gas. She thought of the amount of food and water she had left, as well as medical supplies; just a first aid kit half empty under the passenger seat.

_Do it._


	2. Chapter 2

When she awoke the next morning Katie new she could not wait around for three days in a car with no gas. Something was bound to go wrong. She lay in the darkness of the hot trunk, thinking. The next town was miles away, she probably wouldn't get to it before the sun set. Which was almost too dangerous to risk. But she needed gas. She thought of the amount of food and water she had left, as well as medical supplies; just a first aid kit half empty under the passenger seat.

_Do it._

Katie recoiled as if stung. The voice had come from inside the trunk, from right beside her. She realized she'd been clutching her gun with a vise-like grip. But where did the voice come from? It was a whisper, but clear. It scared her.

With a sickly sort of groan she pushed the back seat down. A few moments later she was outside of the Probe, looking around nervously. Katie rubbed her arms, merely for reassurance in the heat of Georgia's late summer. The road was still empty, so she allowed herself to stretch and put the voice out of her mind. When she finished working the stiffness out of her limbs, her watch read three-thirty. Katie got back into the car and pulled out a book. It was some stupid teen drama; but for some reason she couldn't stop reading it. She wished many times that she had brought more books; or could find some worth reading, but unfortunately she had little time for that. Katie put the book down at a quarter to seven; the sun was setting so she wouldn't have any light. After crawling back into her trunk space she let her mind wander; the thoughts were pleasant enough; memories of days before the world went to hell. She fell asleep to the image of her dog Jake, when he was a puppy. Katie had come home to her apartment to discover the mutt had managed to get the door to the fridge open, and was looking awfully guilty sitting in the pile of lettuce and other goods. If someone had been there with her while she slept, they would have seen the tears rolling silently down her face.

_Do it._

She awoke with a jolt. It was early, she knew. Too early. Checking her watch as she lay in the trunk she saw it was six in the morning. Katie kept her eyes shut, listening to the world outside the car. She heard nothing; no movement, no voices. No groans. Once again, the voice seemed too real, too close. Feeling around, she found the gun next to her; the barrel pointed straight at her face. Katie took a deep breath, suddenly very awake. Turning the gun away from her, she pushed open the back seat and stretched out full length. Katie stayed that way for a while, the words playing over in her head like a broken record.

_Do it._

Katie got up and ate a meager breakfast, then went to the side of the road to relieve herself. Walking back to the car, she began to stretch her stiff limbs. Katie squinted down the road, the sun's morning rays creeping into her vision. Then she froze as if caught in the headlights of a truck. Coming down the road was a line of vehicles. She swallowed the fear rising in her throat and hurried to the car. She quickly locked the doors and clambered into the trunk. After pulling shut the back seat she took a moment to breathe and pull her frantic thoughts together.

"It's okay Katie. They'll just drive right past. And if they don't…" She gripped the Colt tighter in her hand. The half-empty chamber flashed in her mind. She took another breath.

It wasn't long before she heard the convoy pull up alongside her. It seemed like an eternity as she listened to car doors open and shut. She listened carefully to the southern voices.

"Just one car?" said a woman's voice.

"That book's still open. They were here recently." said another. This voice sounded angry, harsh.

"They must've ran out of gas, decided to walk." This man seemed calm, mature. "Let's check for supplies."

Katie flinched as someone tried the door.

"It's locked."

"Maybe they planned on coming back." Suggested another female. The harsh one snorted.

"Maybe it's a set-up."

Katie heard the shatter of glass the same time she felt the car rock. The doors were unlocked and opened, and she inched to face the trunk door. The colt shook in her hands. The trunk clicked, and Katie screamed as it was pulled open, holding the pistol in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

Katie heard the shatter of glass the same time she felt the car rock. The doors were unlocked and opened, and she inched to face the trunk door. The colt shook in her hands. The trunk clicked, and Katie screamed as it was pulled open, holding the pistol in front of her.

She was surprised to hear another scream join hers. A woman in her mid-thirties, with long brown hair, stood staring with her eyes as big as saucers. Katie remained locked in place, her breathing shallow.

It took only seconds before three guns and a crossbow were all trained on her face. Katie refused to budge, glaring at all of them with as fierce a look as she could give despite her fear. The man closest to her, wearing a police uniform with a very large silver revolver, lowered his weapon first.

"It's alright; we're not goin' to hurt you. Come on out." He said, in the same calm voice she had heard. The strangers backed up as she slowly exited her hiding space, her gun remaining pointed at them all. The man on her right gestured at it with his crossbow.

"I suggest you put it down, girl." he said warningly in a harsh tone. Katie's heart was racing, but she moved the gun to him instead.

"Now everyone just relax. Nobody's goin' to shoot anybody. My name is Rick Grimes, and this is my wife Lori." Said the first, holding out his hand. Katie stared at it for a moment, tentatively lowering her weapon and shaking with him. The woman with the long hair nodded and smiled.

"I'm Katie Winters." she said, making a face as she cleared her throat. It had been days since she'd spoken above a whisper. She glanced at the crossbow and up into the man's fierce face. He squinted at her, suspicion and mistrust riddling his rugged face. She looked down, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

"That's Daryl." said Rick, nodding at him. Daryl finally lowered the formidable weapon. A man wearing a police hat stepped closer, hand extended.

"I'm Shane. How long you been in that trunk?"

"I sleep in there." Katie answered, almost embarrassed. "I ran out of gas two days ago."

"How much food have you got?" asked Lori, surprised.

"Only a day's worth left now." she replied meekly. Her stomach rumbled. Rick nodded as he listened. There were others she could see; an Asian boy, a couple of kids, an older woman, an old man, a blonde lady, and a black man (who had the shotgun). Rick looked her over, he appeared to be making a decision. He jerked his head at his comrades.

"You wait right here Katie, we're goin' to talk a minute." he said. The group walked some distance away, to the last car in their convoy. Katie sat down on her car, watching them intently.

_Don't trust them._

It was the voice again. Katie whirled her head from side to side; there was no one beside her. The thought gnawed at her as she watched, and her paranoia grew as she waited. The minutes seemed to stretch as could see them discussing her fate. Katie wanted to run, she wanted to escape into the woods and never see these people again. But they were people, real living people. To have somebody to talk to; to listen to. Katie wanted to cry. As the strangers came back over to her, she could feel the tears welling up.

"Alright, we decided you can come with us, if you like. We can combine our resources, and it looks like you know how to fight." Rick said. Katie felt the fat, hot tears running down her face.

"Okay." she said, smiling despite her crying. Lori stepped forward, putting her arms around her. Katie let go, sobbing into this strange woman's shoulder.

"It's alright." She heard Lori saying, repeating those words over and over. Those soft, comforting words. Katie forced herself to stop, taking deep, shuddering breaths until she'd calmed down enough to speak again.

"I'm sorry." she said, pulling away from Lori. "It's just been so long since I've talked to, no _seen_ anybody that doesn't want to rip me to pieces."

"How long have you been by yourself?" asked Shane, tilting his head. She shrugged.

"Since it started, really. I had my dog, but…" She stopped herself, looking away. The gruesome memory of her Jake defending her as she escaped was too much to say out loud. Shane nodded, and a few others looked away.

"Let's get your things out of that car. Who's got room for her?" Rick asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"She can ride with me." Daryl offered, surprising her. He surprised a few others too, it seemed. "There's still room in my truck."

"Well, alright, let's get goin', daylight's burnin'." said Shane. They stripped Katie's car of everything valuable in a matter of minutes. She chuckled as she looked at the empty, tireless vehicle.

"I feel like I've been robbed." she joked.

"You're welcome to stay." replied Daryl, swaggering away from her with her backpack of jerky and a few water bottles. Katie frowned, but followed him to his truck at the end of the line. A large motorcycle sat in the bed, and she noticed the SS symbol stamped on the gas tank.

_Great. _she thought, opening the passenger door and sliding in. _He's a freaking Nazi._

There was a honk from each car in the line, after which they started moving. Katie watched as they passed the Probe, which had been her home for months. She felt a little pang of sadness as it shrank behind them and out of sight. However it wasn't long before her eyelids grew heavy and she slipped into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as Katie was conscious enough to realize she was being shaken, she flung her fists around violently. Her hands were caught, and as her memories flooded back into her waking mind, she fumbled a groggy but earnest apology.

"Get up. We're gettin' supplies." was all Daryl replied before releasing her hands and walking away before she could speak again. Katie rose quickly, exiting the pickup and scanning the surroundings. The sun was setting, they had come to an abandoned gas station. Rick and Shane were heading into the buildings, the Asian and the black man were trying to fill up at the pumps. Seeing Daryl following the cops into the building, she headed over to the pumps.

"Hi, I'm Glenn." said the Asian boy, smiling and holding out his hand. She took it, and then took the next hand offered to her as well.

"Theodore Douglas. But call me T-Dog."

"I'm Katie." she replied, looking around. "How long was I asleep?"

"'Bout eight hours. I was wondering how you'd get along with Daryl." answered T-Dog with a chuckle.

"So is he like that with everyone?" she asked, a little shyly.

"Yeah pretty much. But he grows on you." Glenn shrugged. "Wanna meet the others?"

Glenn took her around and introduced her to the rest. Katie smiled and tried to make small talk, but she found it much harder than she remembered. Carol and Sophia were a family, Andrea had just lost her younger sister Amy. Carl was Rick and Lori's son. And Dale owned the RV, and he was all alone. Katie found she didn't really have much to say, or maybe it was that she didn't want to. She wanted to contribute somehow, but everyone seemed to already have the whole place pretty much covered.

"Not a talker, huh?" Glenn asked as they went back to the pumps. She shook her head.

"No, not really. Funny though, I was a waitress before this."

"A waitress huh? Where did you work?"

Katie laughed at the oh-so-normal response. It was a funny sound to her now.

"I worked at Joe's Crab Shack in Chicago." she said. "Every single day."

"You're from Chicago? That's awesome. I'm from Michigan." Glenn replied. Katie raised her eyebrows.

"Wow I thought everyone here was from Georgia." she admitted. Glenn and T-Dog both laughed.

"No, not everyone." he said. Someone whistled, and Katie looked to see Shane, Rick and Daryl coming out of the shop with a few supplies and grim expressions.

"Alright, let's wrap it up, y'all. Get a move on." Shane ordered, and Katie watched the group load up the vehicles with what they had scavenged. Glenn clapped her on the shoulder, heading back to the RV with a few of the others. Katie scrunched up her face at the thought of getting back into the truck with Daryl, but marched back to it anyway. Daryl was silent, his angry face squinting down the road ahead. She sat chewing her lip for fifteen minutes of it, then decided to break the ice.

"So where'd you get that crossbow?" she asked, giving him a sideways glance. The crossbow sat between them, creating a wall.

"I been had it." he replied, not even looking at her. Katie nodded and cleared her throat. She turned to look out the window.

"Where'd you get a piece like that?" Daryl asked, startling her. Katie looked down at the pistol sitting in her lap. "That's a Colt .45. Not something cheap to come by."

"Oh, um, I found it in a house." she explained, "There were three freaks in there, but only three. And the gun was in a safe in the closet. I was actually looking for new clothes. Nice upgrade I think. There was a half-empty box of ammo too, but…"

She clicked open the chamber to reveal the last of the ammunition for the weapon. Daryl glanced at it and sniffed.

"So you don't know how to fight walkers after all. Shoulda saved your gun for when you really needed it girl."

Katie creased her brow at his words. She thought about the times she had used it, and found herself grudgingly agreeing with him. Finding nothing else to say, Katie turned back to the window. She watched the scenery pass by until it was all a blur, and she fell asleep once more.

"Get up. We're here."

This time Katie was only pushed once, then she hurried to keep up with him, grabbing her backpack and pistol before trotting after him. There were bodies everywhere. Soldiers, civilians, and weapons were all scattered about the gruesome, rotting battlefield. Birds were picking at the dead bodies. She was almost overcome by the smell. Her heart was jumping; the sun was going down, she couldn't even see it behind the CDC building. The others were running up to it, Rick leading the way. They ran straight up to the doors and began trying to open them. Katie, Daryl, Andrea and T-Dog kept their eyes on the streets.

"Walkers!" Daryl warned, taking aim at the first shambling man that caught sight of them. Katie pulled her crowbar from her backpack, holding it ready. Rick starting screaming and banging on the door.

"I saw it move! I know you're in there! The camera moved!"

"There's no one there man, it's probably a motion sensor! We gotta go!" Shane argued, attempting to pull him away. More walkers were coming; Katie's breathing quickened. They were going to be in hot water if Rick kept yelling like this. But he ignored Shane; kicking the doors and shouting, desperately screaming. Katie eyed the approaching walkers, fear rising. They were blocked off from the vehicles, trapped. She gripped the crowbar tighter.

_Fool. Now you're going to die._


	5. Chapter 5

Rick turned away in frustration, pulling out his Python to fight the walkers. Daryl fired off a bolt straight into a walker's eye, Katie braced herself for when the freaks got closer. Suddenly a bright light came from behind; everyone turned to see the doors to the CDC were opening.

"Move, move! Watch for walkers."

Everybody scrambled to get inside the building. Katie moved in backwards, watching the darkening streets warily.

A man stood in the doorway holding one of the soldier's guns from outside, seeming almost as shocked to see them as they were to see him.

"Are any of you infected?" he asked.

"One of our group was." Rick said. "He didn't make it."

"What are you doing here what do you want?" the man asked, moving forward cautiously.

"A chance."

"That's a lot to ask for these days." The man was looking them over; judging them. Inspecting, it seemed.

Katie swallowed.

"You all submit to a blood test; that's the price of admission. You better hurry and get whatever supplies you have. Once the doors shut they won't open again." he said, stepping to the side. Rick quickly got into action.

"You heard him, get everything we need and move fast! Let's go!" he commanded. Katie raced towards Daryl's truck, slamming her crowbar into the face of a female walker; she felt the sickening crack of its bones as the metal fell easily into the putrid flesh. She grabbed Daryl's pack from the truck bed, when she turned back around there was a walker waiting. She screamed, but it had hardly the time to reach for her before an arrow pierced its head. She looked; Daryl was watching her from the sight of his crossbow. She ran his direction, and everyone entered the safety of the CDC. The metal doors slid back over the glass, and they were shut inside.

"Thank you. Thank you." Rick said, shaking the man's hand. "Who are you?"

"I'm Doctor Edwin Jenner. Who are you?"

"My name is Rick Grimes. What happened here?" Rick asked, jerking a thumb back to the nightmare outside. Katie was shaking; she gripped the crowbar tightly to stop it. She followed behind the rest of the group, listening to Jenner explain the building itself.

There was a short elevator ride, Katie stood in a daze. They were safe. No walkers, no crazies. She was safe.

_You'll never be safe. Never._

Katie jerked her head sideways, as if to get water out of her ears. She glanced around, nobody seemed to be paying attention to her.

"Are we underground?" asked Carol, her daughter Sophia walking close beside her.

"Are you claustrophobic?" asked Dr. Jenner. Carol nodded. "Try not to think about it. Vi, turn on the lights in the big room."

The lights flickered one. The room they had entered was large, circular with many computers. And devoid of other people.

"Where are all the doctors? The other staff?" Rick asked. Dr. Jenner turned to face the group.

"I'm it. It's just me here."

Katie's eyes widened. _One guy? How will they find a cure with just one guy?_

"I'm sorry. Follow me please."

They followed the doctor to another room, which was probably used for meeting at one point. Katie watched as Rick was first for the blood test. The needle looked much, longer than she expected, and it seemed he was taking an awful lot of blood. The line dwindled until he looked directly at her.

"You're next. Come on up." he said, gesturing at the seat. Katie inched forward, sitting as far away from him as she could manage.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, holding the needle ready. She turned her head away and nodded, trembling in her seat. He laughed.

"You won't even feel it. Just keep your head turned away."

Katie did so and only felt a tiny prick as the needle entered her arm. She laughed nervously.

"Liar."

The group laughed, which helped to calm her down. When he finished she scurried away quickly, standing far away from the table while Andrea sat down.

"What's the point? If any of us were infected we'd be running a fever." she complained. Jenner sighed.

"I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here; please just let me be thorough."

Andrea stood, swaying slightly. Jackie took her arm.

"What's the matter?" Jenner asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days," said a woman named Jackie, "none of us have."

"Well, let's fix that." Jenner said, standing. He put Andrea's blood in the cooler with the others. They followed him to an eating area, complete with a rather nice kitchen.

"Sit next to me, Katie!" said Sophia, clambering into a seat next to her mother.

"Okay, Sophia." Katie said, sliding into the chair between Sophia and T-Dog. Glenn and Daryl were seated across from her. She listened to the group talk and joke together, enjoying the sound of conversation once more. She listened as Sophia talked to her about her school and her life before it all happened, marveling at the girl's ability to stay so sweet after all she had been through.

"I wanna see how red your face gets, Asian!" she heard Daryl declare. She turned to see him shoving a bottle of Southern Comfort at Glenn. Glenn took it, looking regretful as he took a swig. Katie laughed at the expression on Glenn's face as the whiskey went down his throat. T-Dog was trying to convince Lori to let Carl try wine. Katie watched as Carl sipped at the dark wine, immediately disliking it.

"Ewww." he said, pushing the cup away. Everyone laughed as Lori dumped the contents into her own glass. Katie took a sip of water, and as she did so she noticed Shane sitting down a ways, looking around darkly at everyone. She glance at Dr. Jenner, and he too was watching everyone with a sort of gloomy expression. Rick seemed to catch this, and spoke.

"We've been so busy enjoying ourselves we haven't even thanked our host." Rick said, gesturing towards the scientist. T-Dog laughed.

"He is more than just our host." He raised his wine glass, as did everyone else.

"Boo-yah!" Daryl cheered, and others joined suit. Katie raised her empty glass, but remained silent.

"So tell us what happened here, Doc?" Shane interjected loudly. The mood in the room changed dramatically. "All the other doctors who're supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?"

"We're celebratin' Shane. Don't do this now." Rick warned, sitting back down next to his family.

"Well this is why we're here, in'nt it? This is what you wanted, to find all the answers. Instead we found him." Shane jerked his thumb at Jenner. "One guy."

"When things got bad, many left to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military was overrun, the rest bolted." Jenner explained. Katie swallowed, listening hard.

"All of them?" Shane snorted.

"No." Jenner retorted, leaning closer to him. "Many couldn't face walking out the door. There was a rash of suicides."

"But you didn't leave. How come?" asked Andrea.

"I just kept working. Hoping to…do some good."

The room was silent, tense. Katie felt awkward, suddenly as though they were no longer welcome. Everyone seemed to slump further, the good mood sinking.

"Dude, you are such a buzz-kill." said Glenn, sitting down. Katie watched Shane; he seemed almost pleased with the result.

When dinner ended, somewhat awkwardly, Jenner led them through the building.

"You all can stay in these rooms down along this hall. The showers are down on the right, but don't use all the hot water."

"A shower?" Katie repeated, a smile spreading on her face. She hurried into a room, pulling the only other set of clothes she had out of her backpack. When she turned, she saw Carol and Sophia standing in the doorway.

"Can we bunk with you?" Carol asked pleasantly. Katie nodded, grinning. Sophia scampered into past her, clinging to a little doll. Carol put a hand on Katie's shoulder as she followed her daughter and began setting up their things.

The shower was incredible. Katie shut her eyes, sighing happily as the deliciously warm water coursed over her. She generously applied shampoo, conditioner, and soap, scrubbing it deep into her scalp and skin. When she got out, somewhat reluctantly, twenty minutes later, Katie felt refreshed and relaxed for the first time in many months. She walked back to her room barefoot, dumping her well-worn clothes onto the floor next to her belongings.

Katie stretched, reaching high up on her tip-toes and then bending over to touch them. She tried to remember all of the moves from her yoga DVDs, but found it difficult with her tightly knotted muscles. While she was doing so, heard something tap against the doorframe.

"Knock, knock."

She turned in surprise at the sound of Daryl's voice. He was leaning against the door with a bottle of Southern Comfort in his hand. She straightened immediately; looking over him once she could tell he was borderline drunk.

"Daryl? What are you doing here?" she asked

"Didn't see you drinkin' at dinner." he said, stepping into the room. She grinned nervously.

"Yeah, well alcohol isn't exactly my friend and—"

"Shut up." Daryl cut her off, thrusting the bottle towards her. "Drink."

Katie took the bottle.

"Why?" she asked. He laughed.

"Because people are different when they're drunk."

Katie shook her head, puzzled. She took a swig, the whiskey burned her throat and she coughed. She tried to hand it back to him, but he refused.

"Come on now, you can handle more. Don't be a little bitch." he said. She gasped at the bluntness of his words, but accepted the challenge. Katie took another mouthful, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I thought you didn't like me, Daryl. Hell, I thought you didn't like anyone." she said, as he sat down across from her in a desk chair.

"I don't like strangers. Or criers." He took the bottle back and drank. Katie frowned, grabbing the bottle and swigging. Her throat was numbing, the burn wasn't quite so bad. She coughed again, giggling at herself.

"I was never a big whiskey fan." she said, flipping her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder while she spoke. "More of a fruity drink person."

"Figured as much. You look like a girly-girl type." Daryl replied. Katie creased her brow.

"Hey, y-you watch it, buddy. I'm nice to you." She couldn't stop the slur. He chuckled as she took another drink to cover it up.

"Three drinks and you're slurrin'. You really are a light-weight ain't ya?"

"I am not a light-girl, you friggin' redneck Nazi." She said, drinking again. This time Daryl didn't take the bottle back.

"What do you mean, "Nazi"?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"I saw the SS marks on the motorcycle. Nazi."

"That's my brother's bike. I ain't no skinhead." Daryl said. Katie titled her head, squinting at him.

"Brother? Where is he? Is he part of the group?" Katie suddenly remembered Rick's words when he entered.

_One of our group was. He didn't make it._

Daryl's face darkened; this time he took the bottle and drank. He sat back, leaning a little. Katie knew she had said the wrong thing,

"Sorry. Sorry, please. I shouldn't have asked."

"Not your fault. You're not the one who left him cuffed to a roof." He looked at her and sniffed, passing the bottle back. "Left him for dead."

Katie was in shock. Rick, who had accepted her so easily into the group, allowed them to cuff someone to the roof, still alive? She couldn't believe it. She continued to look at him in disbelief.

"He wann't infected or nothin', they just cuffed him there."

"Tha-that is so sad. I'm so sorry." Katie said, putting a hand on his leg. She felt slow, the slurs were more prominent. A thought crossed her mind that she perhaps didn't eat enough at dinner, or drink enough water. These thoughts brushed from her mind as she took another drink from the bottle, which was almost empty now.

***Author's Note*** Okay, so this was a super long chapter, but it needed to be. I just couldn't break it off as short as the others. For those of you who have read up to this point, I thank you. :)*****


	6. Chapter 6

Katie woke the next morning with a terrible headache. Her mouth was dry, and her tongue felt much too big for her mouth. She groaned loudly, cracking her eyes open for only a second before screwing them shut again. She lay there, thinking about last night. Her leg itched, and when she moved her hand over to the spot where it was, she discovered she wasn't wearing her sweats. Her eyes snapped open. Carol and Sophia were not in the room, neither was Daryl. Katie stood in a flash, instantly regretting it as colors swam before her vision.

_We didn't. We couldn't have. He wouldn't_! Her thoughts raced as she searched around for her missing clothing. She found them by the door, splattered with vomit. Katie groaned again; she had thrown up last night. All over herself. She wondered if she'd thrown up on him too. Pulling on her cutoffs, she decided to avoid the subject.

In the kitchen, T-Dog was cooking. Katie squinted in the light. Glenn looked about as bad as she felt.

"Aw, here comes the next one." T-Dog laughed, as she flopped down next to Glenn. T-Dog gave her a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. She gave a crooked grin, still unable to operate her mouth properly. She took a bit of the eggs; they were riddled with cheese and a little bit of spice, and were delicious.

"T-Dog, these are great." said Glenn, halfway through his plate. Others from the group walked in, some chuckling at the state of Katie and Glenn.

"See you got yourself cleaned up there, Kat." said Rick, walking in with Lori and Carl. She blushed.

"Oh, um, well I…" she mumbled, shoveling eggs into her mouth.

"Carol said you were a mess when she got in there. Cleaned you up, and the floor." he continued. Her blush deepened, and she ducked her head. Sophia scampered into the room, straight up to Katie.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, looking genuinely concerned. Everyone laughed.

"Yes, thank you." She glanced at Carol when she said it. The woman chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"You should've seen Daryl when I walked in. Didn't know what to do." she said back. Katie pushed her plate away, putting her head down on the table and covering it with her hands. The laughter that followed was loud.

"Good morning." said Dr. Jenner, walking in. Katie gave a quick smile as he passed. Lori handed her a bottle of aspirin, she was more than grateful.

"Doc, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing, but…" Dale began, taking a sip of orange juice. Katie looked up as the doctor muttered something. There was some movement on the right; Daryl had just walked in. She ducked her head again.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." added Andrea.

"When you finish your breakfast, please come with me to the big room." replied Jenner, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

The rest of the meal was continued in relative silence. Katie left early and went to her room to pull on her boots. She put her soiled sweats in a plastic bag she found in the bathroom. When she got to the big room, there was a video playing on the big screen.

"This is a vigil?" Rick was asking.

"Yes—well, the playback of a vigil."

"This person died?" asked Andrea, incredulous, "who?"

"Test Subject 19. This is someone who was bitten, infected, and volunteered to have us record the process." Jenner replied. Katie noticed her seemed much sadder, quiet. "We've had recordings of resurrection in as little as three minutes, and some as long as eight hours. This one in particular took two hours, ten minutes, seven seconds."

The brain grew dark, a black substance was spreading from the spine upward.

"It invades the brain likes meningitis. Everything you are, or ever will be, gone."

Katie felt like crying, but held it back as she watched. This is what happened to people when they were infected. If they weren't devoured before then. She folded her arms tightly across her chest. She thought of her family, and quickly turned a sob into a cough. She noticed Daryl glance at her quickly, then turn back.

Andrea too looked as though she would cry.

"She lost someone like this. Her sister." Lori explained. Jenner sighed.

"I lost someone too, I know how devastating it is." he said to Andrea. Katie was surprised to see the woman's face so broken up. Andrea always seemed so strong. A sudden light flashed across the screen and there was a large hole in the brain.

"What was that?" Carol asked, holding Sophia close to her. Katie knew in an instant.

"He shot his patient in the head," explained Andrea, "didn't you?"

"Vi, power down the main screen and the work stations." Jenner ordered, ignoring her question.

"Powering down main screen and work stations." replied the computer, obeying.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked accusingly.

"It could be viral, parasitic, fungal…"

"The wrath of God." Jackie threw in.

"There is that." Jenner said.

"Somebody must know something. Somebody, somewhere." Andrea said.

"There are others, right? Other facilities?"

"I've been in the dark for almost a month." Jenner answered.

"Man, I'm goin' to get _shit-faced_ drunk. Again." Daryl said, running his hands over his face.

"I hate ask you one more question, I know this must be taxing for you but," said Dale, striding over to point at a clock one the wall. The large, glowing red numbers read fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. One hour. Katie turned her head from it to Dr. Jenner. "That clock is counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The backup generator runs out of fuel." Jenner replied, although he seemed very reluctant to do so. Katie furrowed her brow. _The Center for Disease Control running out of fuel? That doesn't seem possible._ she thought.

"Run out of fuel?" Rick repeated. He and Shane looked at each other in disbelief. "What happens when the power runs out?"

Jenner didn't answer, merely strode from the room. Katie watched him leave. Something was going on, something he didn't want them to know.

_Don't trust him. Can't trust anybody. Nowhere is safe._

The voice hit her like a punch. She staggered a little, supporting herself on a computer. It was louder this time, more real. She took a few steadying breaths, eyes closed.

"Vi, what happens when the building runs out of fuel?" Rick asked loudly.

"Facility wide decontamination will occur." Vi responded dutifully. Rick swore, beckoning to Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog.

"Come on, we're goin' to find those generators." He and the others ran from the room. Katie slumped against the desk, looking up at the clock. Forty minutes.


	7. Chapter 7

She went back to her room, Carol and Sophia weren't there, probably in the rec room. She picked up her backpack, pulling out a small zippered journal. Katie ran her hand over the surface, opening it. Inside was a folded photograph, she gazed at it, her heart aching.

The picture was of her, Jake, and her cousin, Merissa. Merissa was a few years older than her, and they had lived together from the time Katie was sixteen. They were practically sisters with how close they were. Merissa was a nurse, and she had been home less and less in the months leading up to the initial breakout. Katie felt tears falling, but she didn't try to stop them. The picture had been taken about a year ago, outside their apartment. They were in their pajamas, and Jake was jumping on Katie, pawing her stomach and barking. Merissa held a pair of shoes in her hand, her favorite pair. She could almost feel the wind of that summer day, and the warmth of the sun.

"Who is that, Katie?"

The voice startled her; she looked up to see Sophia and Carol watching her. She smiled.

"It's my cousin and my doggie, see? Merissa and Jake." Sophia took the photograph with both hands.

"What kind of dog is he?" she asked.

"He was just a mutt. I found him at the train station when he was a baby." Katie explained. The memory stung her heart, but she grinned widely to combat the pain. Carol leaned over Sophia's shoulder to getter a better look at the picture.

"Glenn told us you're from Chicago?" she said, looking up to confirm the information. Katie nodded.

"Yup. I have family in Savannah. That's where I was headed when I ran outta gas."

Katie pulled at the collar of her plaid shirt. She looked to the ceiling; Carol and Sophia followed her gaze.

"Air conditioning must be out." she said, taking her picture back. She tucked it back into the journal before putting it back. Someone passed by the doorway. She looked out into the doorway; it was Dr. Jenner, dressed as though he was going to work. She followed him as the lights shut off in the bedroom.

"Why are the air and the lights off?" asked Lori.

"What's goin' on? Why's everything turnin' off?" asked Daryl , holding another bottle of whiskey. Katie flushed when she saw him, but hurried after the doctor.

"It's not up to me. The building is shutting itself down."

"What does that mean?" asked Daryl, striding after him. "Hey man, I'm talkin' to you! How can a building do anything?"

They entered the big room, Rick and the other men storming in from the other side.

"What happens in twenty-eight minutes, Jenner? WHAT HAPPENS?" Rick demanded, pulling Jenner by the front of his shirt.

"Decontamination." Jenner said. Katie watched him swipe a card across a keypad, the doors slammed up, shutting off the exits.

"He locked us in!" Glenn yelled, turning to Rick. Daryl and Shane roared, hacking at the doors with axes, to no avail. They gave up, Daryl smashing the whiskey bottle against the unforgiving metal.

Katie was stunned, the room seemed to stop. She heard crying, whether it was her or someone else she didn't know. Her legs wobbled, she fell into a chair.

"Those doors were made to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said. Daryl ran up at him, ax raised.

"Yeah but your head ain't!"

Rick and Shane grabbed him, forcing the ax from his hands. Daryl stormed away, kicking at a chair.

"You can't do this to us." Carol begged, crying as she clutched at her child. "You can't just keep us in here."

"It would be a millisecond, no pain," Jenner said, gesturing, "Isn't this more humane? More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run out?"

"This is cruel." Rick said, "You've got to let us out."

"Please." said Katie, her voice cracking enormously. "Please let us out."

"You wanted this, Rick. You said so last night that it was only a matter of time before everyone you loved was dead." Jenner stood, waving his hands around. "There is no hope."

"I don't want this." Rick said, his face straining with desperation. "And I don't believe you. You have to have hope. Why else would you keep working when everyone else gave up?"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner said, scowling.

"Then why?" Rick demanded.

"Because I made a promise." Jenner said. He pointed at the blank screen. "To her. My wife. How could I refuse? She was dying. I promised her I would continue as long as I could."

His scowl deepened, changed. He seemed on the verge of tears. Daryl had started chopping at the door again. Katie sobbed, wiping her tears on the back of her wrist.

"It should have been _me_ on that table. It wouldn't have mattered. She was a loss to the _world._ An Einstein, I just worked here!"

"Your wife didn't have a choice. You do." Rick said, "That's all we want. A choice. A chance to keep fighting."

"Let us keep trying for as long as we can." Lori added quietly. Everyone watched Jenner, tense. He shook his head.

"I told you topside's locked down, I can't open those." he said, going back over to the keypad and swiping his card. The door slid down as Daryl was mid-swing.

"Come on!" he yelled, beckoning to everyone.

"Come on guys we got four minutes!" Glenn shouted as he ran to the exit. Katie bolted, almost tripping on her way up the ramp. She raced past Daryl and Glenn to the room, snatching up her backpack. The group bolted up the stairs, the elevators were down. Katie sprinting for the doors along with T-Dog, slamming into them full force. They refused to budge; not that it would matter anyway with the metal panels in front of them.

"Daryl!" Shane was slamming his ax into the window, Daryl soon followed suit. Katie watched as they didn't even make a scratch on the thick glass. She could see the sky outside; and that's what she focused on, the bright blue sky. T-Dog ran up with a chair, screaming and slamming it into the window.

"Move man, move!" Shane snapped, cocking a shotgun and taking aim. The bullet bounced off of the glass.

"It won't break?" Sophia asked, frantic. Katie glance over and saw Carol digging in her knapsack.

"Rick? I have something that might help." she said, still digging.

"I don't think a nail file is going to help Carol." Shane snorted. Katie's eyes widened as she pulled a grenade from the depths of the bag. Rick took it, and everyone threw themselves on the ground. She heard Rick swear, then the explosion hit seconds later. She felt the heat of fiery wind go directly over her, and she covered her ears at the near-deafening sound. An entire section of the glass shattered, and they were free. Katie sprinted towards Daryl's truck. A few walkers were limping across the lawn; they went down quickly as other members of the group shot at them. Katie's heart was pounding as she wrenched open the door to the truck and scrambled inside. Daryl was close behind; they both slammed the doors shut. Katie watched the window as Andrea and Dale climbed out. Andrea looked sickly and pale, distraught as they drew nearer.

"Get down!" Daryl commanded, pushing her down into the seat. He laid over her as the CDC ignited.

The explosion was twenty times that of the grenade. Katie flinched, scrunching up smaller as she listened to the flame roar and devour the building. She felt Daryl get up, and she too pushed herself up to look around. The CDC had collapsed on itself, black smoke belched into the sky. That bright blue sky. Katie let out her breath, which she didn't know until that point that she had been holding it. Daryl started the truck, and she thumped her head against the back of the seat.


	8. Chapter 8

They drove in silence for a long time, and Katie drifted between consciousness and sleep. She still felt tense, waiting for something to happen. Waiting to run. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. She wasn't even sure she'd had a coherent thought in the past two hours since they left the CDC. She thought about Jenner. _He's with his wife now. He can relax._ she thought, pushing at the seat with her shoulders as she stretched her legs out.

"What are you doing?" Daryl asked, snapping her back to the present. She didn't stop; she couldn't resist how good it felt to stretch.

"Stretching. It's one of those stretches you can't stop. It feels too good." she explained, making a face as she twisted her back. She pushed her hands against the ceiling. He gave her a strange look, and Katie suddenly remembered what happened the night before. She flushed red.

"What?" he asked. She turned away to look out of the window.

"I'm sorry I threw up last night." she said in a low voice. He laughed.

"That? I figured that was gonna happen. You didn't drink often huh?" Katie shook her head.

"Not really. I just never got into like other people I guess." She shrugged.

"That's good. Means your life really wann't that bad." Daryl replied. Katie looked at him, perplexed. This time it was his turn to shrug.

"And yours?" she asked, tilting her head. Her messy hair slid down her shoulder. He glanced once at her then back to the road.

"Not no picnic that's for sure."

Katie decided not to press the issue further. She pulled her book from her backpack, sitting Indian-style with the book in her lap. Unable to remember where she left off, she reread the last page until the words were familiar. She got lost in the book, entering the world of a stupid girl who was dating werewolves and vampires and couldn't fend for herself.

"I don't get it. Why doesn't she do some research?" she said aloud.

"What are you talkin' about?" Daryl asked. "What are you reading?"

"A book about this girl who falls in love with a vampire that loves her but wants to eat her. And there are other vampires that want to eat her too and she doesn't fight them or anything it's just her boyfriend. She wouldn't last five minutes in this world."

"How's a vampire fall for a human? Aren't they blood-suckers or whatever?" Daryl asked. "Stupid."

"It's weird because they aren't like Dracula or Buffy vampires. They're made out of diamonds or something, so they sparkle and that's why they don't go in sunlight."

"What kind of shit is that?" Daryl raised his eyebrows at it. She laughed.

"Still, a story's a story. It's not all bad. I still want to find out what happens. Just makes no sense." Katie said, flicking her eyes back to the pages. Her stomach growled quietly. She put her hand to it for a moment, as if that would silence it. She looked up at the scenery once more, fields and trees scattered along the highway.

"Georgia's pretty. Lots of trees." she sighed, shutting the book. She rolled the window down and leaned on the frame, letting the wind whip her hair back. She curled her knees under her as she dangled her arm out of the truck, gazing at the landscape. _I wish we could just drive and drive and never have to stop. I wish we could just drive past these trees and fields for the rest of my life._ she thought, sighing again. She was calm, surprisingly content.

"You should see the backwoods. That's real nice. Got no highways or buildings or nothin'." Daryl said. She turned to look at him.

"I'm sure the locals are really friendly nowadays."

He snorted, and they fell silent. Katie turned back to the window, closing her eyes to enjoy the feel of the wind against her face.

"So where're you from anyhow? Don't sound Southern to me."

She turned back; her hand resting on the seat between them. Her apartment building materialized in her mind's eye.

"Illinois. I'm from Chicago."

"I thought you were Northfolk. Doubt anybody in the west has made it here." he said, giving a short nod as affirmation. "Got family?"

"Maybe. I had some relatives in Savannah. Aunt and Uncle, if they're still alive."

"Your parents dead?"

"My parents…" Katie's lip twitched. "Yeah, they're dead."

Daryl glanced at her, narrow eyes seeming to look right through her. Katie dropped her gaze.

"What about you? Besides your brother, I mean. You have anybody else?" she asked, drawing her knees in close.

"Nah, our dad disappeared a long time ago. Mom died when I was twelve."

She made a noise in her throat as acknowledgement. Daryl shifted in his seat.

"I could drive for a while, if you're tired." she offered, turning to him. He puffed.

"Nobody's driving my truck but me."

She turned back, silenced. She crossed her legs in the seat, fiddling with her revolver. She dumped the ammo into her lap, then dug through her backpack to get out a rag. She began rubbing the gun all over, cleaning out the chambers the three bullets resided in. Katie found the labor of cleaning her weapon almost relaxing, and got absorbed into it.

"When was the first time you used that thing?" Daryl asked. Katie stopped cleaning, staring at it. She sighed, turning it over in her hands. Her eyes threatened to spill over as she remembered that first shot.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Daryl did not press the issue, they went on in silence for some time. Katie finished cleaning the Colt an put it on the seat between them. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky. Katie was fighting to stifle the memories that came roaring up, like the contents of an upset stomach. A sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daryl put both hands on the steering wheel. She wiped her eyes as discreetly as possible, turning once again to look out the window. Katie hoped the convoy would stop soon, she needed to take a walk.


	9. Chapter 9

When the convoy did stop, it was nearing sundown. They had pulled into a tiny, abandoned town. They set up camp inside of a small store on the outskirts of the town. Katie pulled on her backpack, crowbar in her hand as the rest of the group set up tents and other comforts.

"Where ya headed, Kat?" Rick asked, before she could slip away. She fidgeted.

"I wanted to look around."

"Nobody goes anywhere alone." he replied.

"I won't be gone long, I promise." she insisted. All she wanted was to take a walk, be alone with her thoughts.

"That's no how it works here, Kat." Rick said sternly. "If you wanna go on a run, you gotta have a partner."

"Ah. The buddy system." she said, a little irritated. "Fine."

"I'll go with you. I could use a walk myself." Dale interjected, straightening from the sleping bag he'd just unrolled. She sighed, heading out of the door. He trotted to catch up to her, carrying a large rifle slung on his shoulder. They walked a ways down the littered street before he broke the silence.

"Katie, isn't it?" he asked. She nodded, watching the broken windows. "I'm sorry, we just haven't been formerly introduced. My name is Dale."

He stopped, holding out his hand for her to shake. She took it, a little taken aback by the formality. Dale smiled brightly, and they continued walking.

"Do you mind if I pry? You seemed troubled." he went on, looking at her. She shrugged.

"I just wanted to clear my head. Just get the pain out."

"I think you'll find that's a lot easier with a friendly ear." Dale said. She looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows. She smiled, and he held out his elbow for her to take. As she spoke, Katie found he was right, her heart didn't hurt quite so much when she had someone to share her troubles with. While they searched for supplies inside of a gas station, she pulled out the little zippered journal, gently removing the photo of her family.

"This is my cousin, Merissa. I moved in with her when I turned sixteen. She was going to med school. Her dream was to be a surgeon. I remember there were times she would work for sixteen hours straight almost." Katie said. She frowned. "They kept her longer and longer at the hospital those last few normal days. Then when it hit, she never came home."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Dale said.

"I have this crazy hope that she was evacuated." Katie said, laughing a little. "That maybe she's looking for me, or maybe even on her way to Savannah too. She was always so strong, so brave. Blood and bones don't scare her at all. So maybe she's still hanging in there."

"I believe it too." Dale smiled. "I'll help you look, if we pass that way."

Katie smiled, a real smile of half hope and half incredulity. _This old man, _she thought, _reminds me almost exactly of Uncle Frank. He always knew what to say too._ They left the station, with little to show for their efforts.

Back at camp, there was a fire going; Lori and the other women had begun to prepare a meal. Katie saw Daryl standing in his truck bed, staring into the distance. She followed his gaze, seeing nothing in the fading light.

"Hey, you're back." Shane said. "We was just fixin' to send out a search party."

"We weren't gone that long, were we?" Katie asked, looking at Rick.

"He's just teasin' Kat." he chuckled. "Didja find anything?"

"Can of green beans, some junk food. Couple bottles of water." She pulled the meager supplies out of her backpack.

"Well, at least you didn't waste your time." Shane commented dryly. Rick gave him a look.

"Come on now, green beans will go great with this. Hand 'em over." Lori said, reaching for them. Sophia ran up to Katie, grabbing her hand.

"Come sit with us, Katie. I found some flowers." she said, pulling Katie towards her mother. She picked up a handful of daisies. "See? Aren't they pretty?"

"I'll say!" Katie said. She motioned Sophia closer. "Wanna see a trick?"

The little girl nodded. Katie took the flowers and began weaving the stems together. After a few minutes she had created a crown out of the flowers. She placed it on Sophia's head in a flourishing motion.

"Ta-da!" she declared. Sophia's face lit up, and she turned to her mother. Carol smiled, reaching out to pat Katie's knee.

"Thank you." Sophia pranced around the store, in her own little world. Katie watched her mild amusement, once again marveling at the girl's ability to play and be so cheery. She looked around, other members of the camp were watching her too, laughing and making jokes. Daryl remained outside, watching the road for signs of trouble. She watched him for awhile, curious. What made him so distant? Was it just the apocalypse? _No, _she thought, _he was like this before. Probably always like this._

She broke her gaze, focusing instead on the group of people around her. A close group, a family. And now she was a part of it. She felt a smile creep onto her face.

_Nothing lasts forever, Katie._

She gasped, coughing out her food. Everyone looked at her.

"You okay there, Kat?" Rick asked. She nodded, giving a thumbs up.

"Just went down the wrong pipe." Katie said. A few of the others chuckled. _It used my name!_ she thougtht. The voice had never spoken like this before. Katie kept her eyes on her plate, her heart racing. _It used my name. _

_***Author's Note*** _Ahhh, it's getting intense! Short chapter, sorry. For those of you who have made it this far, I thank you. I'm really happy to see so many people like reading my work. I hope you're all excited for the next chapter! I'll keep trying to update everyday. :) Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

***Author's_ Note*** _My faithful followers, I do apologize for the long wait for new chapters. I have not had access to the internet this weekend. :( It sucked. I will give you TWO chapters today to make up for it. Please continue to enjoy my work, it is muc appreciated. 3

"Truck's outta gas."

The group was packed up, ready to go. Daryl turned the ignition again, driver's door open. Katie grimaced as the engine spluttered and coughed. He honked the horn twice. Rick and Shane exited their vehicles, striding towards the ancient truck. Katie got out as Daryl jerked his head at her.

"What's the hold up?" Shane asked. Daryl shrugged.

"Truck's outta gas. Gonna take the bike."

"Alright then, just put your stuff in the RV. Katie, you ride with me. Let's go, we're burnin' daylight." Shane said, clapping his hands and turning his back on them. Rick shrugged, moving to help Daryl get the motorcycle off of the truck bed. Katie watched them for a minute, then scurried up the line of cars to Shane's Jeep. She tossed her backpack behind the seat and climbed in.

"Alright now, let's get a move on!" He called. Katie heard Daryl rev the bike's engine, and watched as Rick passed and got into his car. The convoy started moving, heading back towards the highway. Katie pulled out her book, pushing her loose hairs back from her face as she began to read. A thought came to her, and she looked at Shane. His eyes were on the road, one arm on the door frame.

"Thank you." she said. "For letting me into your group. It means a lot."

"Aw, ain't no big deal. Too dangerous to be out by yourself." he replied, looking over at her with a grin. "'Specially seein' as you're a tourist an' all."

"Haha a tourist?" Katie chuckled.

"Yeah, though I don't know how much you like it right now. 'S all right. Rick and I are tourists too. From Kentucky."

"The accent carries that far, huh?" she asked. Shane laughed.

"Yeah, it does. You'd be surprised."

"You know, I've never been to Kentucky."

"It's nice. Real pretty. Lots of small towns though." Shane said, rubbing a hand quickly over his face. Katie noticed on his neck were several long scratches. She creased her brow, but said nothing. Shane appeared to be lost in thought, staring intently ahead of them. _I wonder if he lost his family too. _she thought, _maybe he's hurting._

"So, you and Rick are both police officers?" she asked, fingering the edge of her book.

"Yup. Been friends since high school." He replied. "Why?"

"Just curious." Katie said quickly.

"I see where this is going." Shane said. "They're all the family I got. Was at the wedding; when Carl was born. Rick's my brother."

"I see. I'm sorry for asking."

"Ain't no shame in a little curiousity."

Katie scrunched up her mouth. Her attempt to break the awkwardness did not really succeed. Instead she had made him angry, or at least she thought so. _Merissa always said I could be tactless sometimes. _

"So you always use a crowbar?" Shane asked, looking at the makeshift weapon beside her leg. Katie nodded, putting a hand on it impulsively.

"I don't have a lot of ammunition." she replied. He nodded.

"That's good. Builds arm strength. Good way to kill walkers."

Katie felt the conversation was forced; his tone reminded her of that of her father.

"I try to avoid the freaks. Putting them to rest is hard." she admitted, shrugging.

"Is that what you call it? 'Puttin' them to rest'?" Shane asked, a little snide. Her frown deepened.

"They were people once. With jobs, pets, homework. Loved ones." she replied, sitting properly.

"Yeah, once. Once you get bit, there ain't nothin' left. It's just a monster, a corpse. You're just killin' what should already be dead."

"I know, but…." Katie trailed off. She couldn't really argue with him, but she didn't agree. She sighed, propping up her chin by resting her elbow on the door. She scowled, looking ahead of them.

"Sorry. Sometimes I gotta loud mouth." Shane said, glancing at her. "I don't mean no harm."

Katie shrugged, there was nothing for her to say. Shane sighed, then swore under his breath. Up ahead, the convoy had stopped. A bus, burned out and broken, lay on its side across the road. Katie swore as well. They got out of the car, Katie grabbing her crowbar.

"What's the problem here?" Shane asked, striding up. Dale had the grill of the RV opened, steam was pouring out.

"I told you back at Altanta, I need a new radiator hose." Dale said, holding out his hands. "And besides that, we need to find a way around this road block."

"We're low on water." Glenn added, exiting the RV. Katie put a hand up to shield the sun, gazing down the highway. Cars littered the road, some showed obvious signs of a fire. Her lip twitched as she thought about the dangers. Dead bodies in cars could just be dormant freaks.

"Everybody spread out, take this opportunity to find what supplies you can. Stay sharp, holler if you need help." said Rick. The rest of the group began to move into action. Katie started forward, eyeing the cars warily.

"This is a graveyard." Lori said, causing Katie to stop. The group looked to her. "We shouldn't touch anything."

"We can't afford not to." Katie said. Lori looked at her in surprise, then walked off. She ducked her head, glancing to see the other's reactions. T-Dog put a hand on her shoulder before heading off down the highway. Dale climbed up on top of the RV.

"I'll keep a look out for trouble." he announced. Katie turned back, striding up to a blue station wagon. There was no one inside; the driver's door was open. She grimaced as she saw dried blood across the seat. In the glove compartment she found a half-empty bottle of ibuprofen, as well as a manual for the car. The trunk held a couple of suitcases, with sparse useful things in them. She moved further down to a silver compact car, finding a couple shirts and a hairbrush. There was a cd player in the console; but upon opening the back Katie found the batteries were corroded. She frowned; she had wanted some new batteries for her GameBoy.

"Pssttt, get under the car!" she heard someone hiss. Banging her head on the door frame in her haste, she looked to see Daryl gesturing angrily. "Walkers, girl! Get under the car!"

Eyes wide, Katie scrambled to hide. She squirmed underneath the compact, holding her crowbar tightly to avoid knocking it against anything. She lay on her stomach, scrunching her face at the pain in her head. Katie froze as she heard the groan of a walker, turning her head as quick as she dared to see the first set of feet shuffling past.


	11. Chapter 11

Katie held her breath, afraid to move an inch. One after another the walkers went by in a sort of grotesque parade. Her eyes flicked from side to side, fear gripping her heart as the herd passed. The smell was horrendous; dead flesh in the summer sun almost causing her to vomit. Katie kept her lips tightly sealed, squeezing all of her panic into her crowbar.

She thought of the others. _They must be alright._ she told herself, _I would know if something happened._ The next thought made her cringe. _It wouldn't be so quiet otherwise. _

_Katie…_

**Thunk.**

Katie jerked her head, smashing it into the bottom of the car. She bit her lip until she drew blood to prevent herself from crying out. Her heart lept to her throat as she inwardly cursed at the noise she had made. Each second felt like an eon as Katie watched the sides of the car. Nothing happened, and eventually the last walker shuffled by her. She waited there, frozen, before turning her head so she could look somewhat down the road. She could see the tires of the RV, and no walkers were approaching. Still she waited, until she could no longer bear the pain in her head.

As she squirmed from underneath the car, a shrill scream broke through the pounding in her skull. Katie's eyes widened; it was the unmistakeable scream of a little girl. _Sophia! _She got to her feet quickly, pulling her gun from her waistband. Racing towards the sound, she watched as two walkers ran into the woods. Rick, Lori, Carol and Carl all stood at the guard rail. As she approached them, Rick sped away.

"What happened? Where's Sophia?" Katie demanded. Carol was crying, Lori shook her head at Katie. Carl's face was twisted in panic. It didn't take but a moment for her to realize what happened: the walkers had found, and were in pursuit of Sophia.

Katie was awash with anxiety. In the time she had spent with this group, Sophia had singled her out as a friend and role model. She thought of the daisies, and how Sophia always wanted Katie to sit next to her.

"I'm going after her." she said. Lori and Carol looked at her in surprise.

"You can't! It's too dangerous!" Lori said. Katie looked at her.

"There is a little girl out there who needs us."

She hopped over the guard rail, glancing back at them only once. Carol's tear-soaked face was an odd mix off misery and gratitude. Katie jogged carefully down the slope into the woods, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. There was no turning back; Sophia needed her. She headed straight, taking care to scratch marks into the trees with her crowbar to mark the path.

Katie wanted to call out, but the danger of being heard by walkers was too great. She scanned the area, but to no avail. She continued on, stepping gingerly in the tangled underbrush. After about ten minutes of this, she sighed.

"I am no good at this." She turned back. There was no one any where. Katie's heart was straining with the hope that Rick had found Sophia. She couldn't wait to see that sweet little girl again.

"Did you see anyone?" Lori asked as Katie climbed back up to the highway. She shook her head.

"I am certainly no tracker. Is Rick back yet?" she replied. This time it was Lori's turn to shake her head.

"Not yet."

Katie felt her shoulders sagging. Her head was still aching. She flinched as she touched the injured spot.

"Are you alright?" Lori asked. Katie nodded.

"I hit my head on the underside of the car." she explained. "What I would give for an ice pack right now."

"Shane found water. Try running it over your head." Lori suggested, rubbing Carol's shoulders. The poor woman was still crying, clutching Sophia's little doll tightly. Katie felt terrible , wishing their was more she could do. A memory slid into her mind, and she found herself almost smiling.

"My dog Jake ran away once." she said, causing Carol to look at her. "I was beside myself. He was my family, my baby. I raised him. I lived in an apartment close to a subdivision, so he could have been anywhere. I didn't go to work for three days. Put posters everywhere, went door to door. It was terrible."

"What happened?" Carl asked. Katie grinned at him.

"Well I was sitting on the steps, crying and feeling miserable, and guess what? That cheeky mutt came trotting up, nosing himself into my arms and licking my face."

Katie paused to looking at Carol. The haggard woman was no longer crying, taking shuddering breaths. She continued.

"If that stupid dog could find his way home, Sophia most definitely will be just fine. I wouldn't be surprised if she comes running back up here in the next hour or so."

Lori smiled at her, as did Carl. Carol gave an awkward half-smile, turning her eyes back to the woods. Katie sighed, turning to go back to the RV. When she got there, they were dragging a walker out of it. She looked to Glenn, he shrugged.

"Andrea was in the RV, she didn't see the herd. One of them found her." Katie opened her mouth, but he shook his head. "She wasn't hurt."

The look he gave her suggested another idea. She wasn't bitten. She chewed her lip. The sound of shuffling feet caused her to whip around. T-Dog was holding his arm, blood pouring from a gash on his forearm. Katie's head whirled at the sight.

"Good lord, what happened?" Dale asked, moving quickly to examine the wound.

"My arm, got cut." T-Dog managed to get out. Katie winced at the image, keeping a hand on the top of her head. As he drew nearer, she got a better view of the cut.

"You've cut an artery." she said, gingerly taking his hand to turn his arm for a better view. "It's not too bad, but we need to stop the bleeding right away. And find some meds, because ibuprofen is not going to cut it."

"Did you learn that from your cousin, Merissa?" Dale asked. She nodded. Glenn produced a belt; she tightened it above the wound, right at his elbow. As Dale tore a shirt for bandages, she looked back down the road. Rick had returned, he was speaking to the women, running a hand over his face. Carol was arguing with him, gesturing desperately. There was a pang of misery as Katie saw he had returned alone.

"Found water." Shane said, dropping an enormouse jug of it on the ground beside the camper door. He looked around, seeing T-Dog holding his bleeding arm, Katie holding her head, and everyone looking down the road. "What's goin' on?"

Katie's lip twitched, she held her tongue. Rick and the others started back their way, and Shane folded his arms. Daryl came loping back, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Rick?" Shane called as they drew nearer. Rick's face was grim; Lori was trying to console Carol. Carl bore his tears silently.

"Sophia's missin'." he admitted finally, after taking a look at the worn-down survivors. "'Couple of walkers chased her into the woods. Now, I killed the walkers, but Sophia's still out there."

Katie watched the group. Their faces sank even further it seemed, making everyone look much older. She couldn't help the tears. Walking over to Carol, she embraced her.

"We'll find her." she whispered to Carol. "I promise you we'll find her."


	12. Chapter 12

"The world's gone to hell, people getting' eaten," T-Dog said, sitting on the road in the shade of the RV, "and Theodore Douglas gets killed by a cut on his arm."

Katie chuckled, quickly silencing herself when he gave her a look. She handed him her water, he accepted it with a nod.

"You really should stay hydrated. Especially since we don't have anything to treat it with."

"You need pills?"

Daryl turned from his bike to face them. She nodded. He dug through the saddlebags, pulling out a ziplock bag of different prescription bottles. Katie marveled at the sight.

"Got somethin' for infection, some kickass painkillers, and a few somethin' else."Daryl said, tossing a couple bottle at them. Katie caught one; the label read "_Take as needed by mouth for pain. Merle Dixon"_. "Merle caught a bad case of the clap one time."

T-Dog sniggered, opening the other bottles.

"Wait, T-Dog!" she said. He paused. "You have to be careful when taking medicine. Read the labels."

"Yes ma'am." he replied, looking surprised. She looked over the bottle carefully, and handed him a couple painkillers and an infection pill. She stopped him from taking them.

"It says you need to have them with a snack. Let me get you some bread or something. And drink your water."

T-Dog looked at Daryl, he shrugged. Katie missed this, she had already begun climbing into the RV. She paused when she got inside, Andrea sat at the little table. She was staring at the pieces of her gun scattered about. Katie walked past her slowly, looking at her feet. She saw a blotch of dark liquid on the carpet, smeared as though someone had attempted to clean it up. She creased her brow, turning her head.

"Are you okay, Andrea?" she asked, leaning against the sink. Andrea drew in a deep breath, like she had been holding it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shook up." she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. She began fiddling with the gun parts. Katie found half a loaf of bread, she took a couple of slices out.

"Don't think about it too much, okay?" Katie said, exiting. "You're alive. That's all that matters."

Outside, Daryl was gone. Katie handed the bread to T-Dog, who immediately took the pills and drank the last of his water bottle. She looked to the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde hair, or a blue t-shirt. Carol was standing with Lori by the guard rail, watching the trees intently.

"Rick took Daryl to go look for Sophia." T-Dog said. She turned to him."That is what you were wonderin', wasn't it?"

She nodded. Daryl seemed like the hunting type; he could find her if anyone could. He was certainly more capable than she was. She let a long sigh.

"I wish there was something more I could do to help."

"You could help load up this water."

Katie spun to see Shane dropping another container of water beside the RV. He was sweating, she looked at the barrels he'd already gathered and grimaced. _I hope I can lift that._ she thought, following him back to the truck. The entire side was filled with those enormous jugs of vital liquid. Shane pulled one of them out, grunting as he shifted the weight in his arms. He stomped away back towards the RV, nodding at her once as he went. She looked at the jugs and frowned, contemplating her options. _I don't want to be dead weight._ Katie chose one nearer to the ground, pulling it with both hands. It was just as heavy as she expected, and she struggled to get a good grip. The barrel was wider than she was, and Katie only got three feet before she dropped it.

Her right foot exploded with pain, and she instantly cried out and dropped to the ground. Katie hurried to take off her boot, pulling her holey sock off to reveal the mess she had just made of her foot. The skin was bright red, already purpling. She let out a shuddering cry as she touched the swelling flesh. She heard hurrying footsteps, and looked up to see Lori, Glenn, and Shane running towards her.

"What happened?" Shane demanded. Katie gawked at him incredulously.

"Did you really think I could freakin' carry these things?" she asked. Lori gave him an angry look. Glenn knelt by her, examining her foot.

"It might be broken." he said, grimacing at Katie. "Nice tattoo though."

She pulled a face. Near her right ankle on the outside was a tattoo of a pair of dog pawprints, on slightly above and to the left of the other. She put a finger to it, and regretted it as pain shot through her.

"I need to ease the swelling. I need ice or something."

"Well we ain't got ice. Gonna have to figure somethin' else out." Shane said, reaching to pick up the water jug. "Either way we need as much of this water as we can carry."

Glenn helped Katie to her feet, Lori grabbing her boot. They hobbled her back to the RV, where T-Dog and Dale both looked at her foot in pity. She bit her lip; her foot throbbed horribly.

"You can lay on the bed in the RV, prop your foot up for a while." Dale said. Katie smiled as best she could through the pain. She hopped up the steps, Andrea was gone, as were the gun parts. She sat on the bed, and Lori took a sleeping bag and placed Katie's foot on it gently.

"I can't believe Shane asked you to carry those things." she said, shaking her head.

"I wanted to be useful." Katie replied. She leaned back, trying to lessen the pain mentally.

"Do you need anything else?" Lori asked.

"Actually, could you get my backpack please? It's in Shane's car."

Lori nodded, leaving her to her thoughts. Katie gazed at her foot; the point of impact was much darker now, and her entire foot was red and swollen. _Shit. I think it really may be broken._ Katie said to herself. _Damnit. This is not a world to have a broken bone in._

_Poor, poor Katie. _

Katie lurched at the return of the voice. It was a whisper, seeming to come from right beside her.

_Don't trust them. _

"Who's there?" she demanded, sitting up straight. Lori came up the steps, holding her backpack.

"It's only me, Katie." Lori said, setting the backpack next to the bed. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's okay. I just..I'm just not used to people yet I guess." Katie said, flushing brightly. Lori sat on the edge of the bed, putting a hand to Katie's forehead.

"Well, at least you feel alright. Try to get some rest, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Katie replied, lying down. Lori smoothed Katie's hair, giving her a warm smile before she left. Katie put an arm over her face. _Way to go. Everyone's going to think you're nuts now._ Katie thought. _Am I really going crazy? _She snuggled down deeper into the bed, trying to put the incident out of her mind as she drifted off into sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

"Katie. Katie, wake up."

Katie woke to the sound of Glenn's voice.

"How long was I sleeping?" she asked blurrily. She sat up, wincing as her fett touched the floor. Suddenly she remembered the day's events. Glenn stood nearby, his face coated in worry.

"Not long, maybe an hour." he replied. "Carl's been shot."

"What?" Katie asked, bewildered. First Sophia, then T-Dog, then herself, and now Carl? She could hardly believe their luck.

"In the woods, while they were looking for Sophia. There was a hunting accident with this guy. He shot Carl on accident. Rick and Lori are already on their farm. We're heading there now."

"Alright." she said. She got to her feet, leaning on the wall for support. Glenn picked up her backpack and boot. Katie held out her hand.

"Please, I can carry it." she said. Glenn handed the backpack over, shaking his head.

"If you say so. Let me know if you need help."

They exited the RV into the early evening sunlight. Everyone was packing up, getting ready to head to the farm. Daryl was there, fiddling with the saddlebag on the bike. He looked up as they approached.

"Damn, what happened to you?" he asked, looking at Katie's foot. She sighed.

"Dropped one of those water jugs on it."

"Looks like shit." he said. She raised her eyebrows, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her.

"Well thanks for that boost of confidence."

"I can fix it." Daryl pulled out his knife, long and sharp. "Be real quick too."

"No, no, no.." Katie looked away from it, chewing her lip. He grinned.

"I'm just messin' with ya. C'mon, we gotta go. Shane n' them already left."

Glenn got into a truck with Dale and T-Dog, and Katie awkwardly got onto the back of Daryl's motorcycle. She tried to sit straight, but when he started the bike she jumped a little and leaned closer to him. The vibrations of the motor as they sped up surprised her, and Katie squealed as the bike leapt to highway speed. They turned off the highway, down a dirt road. Katie found she had to lean with him as he turned. _My first time on a bike and my foot's busted._ she thought, grinding her teeth at the numbing sensation setting into her foot. She tried to look at their surroundings, but the blurred trees made her dizzy,and she shut her eyes.

After a few minutes they begn to slow down, and she opened her eyes, turning her head to see a beautiful farmhouse, with the rest of their group outside waiting. There was a barn and a stable some distance from the house, and fences everywhere on the property. They came to a stop under the shade of the live oaks next to the house.

"I'm guessin' that was your first time on a bike, huh?"" Daryl asked, getting off the seat. Katie nodded, swinging her non-injured leg over to the other side.

"Probably should have waited 'till my foot healed." Katie admitted. He chuckled, helping her up.

"I'm going back to the road. Keep an' eye out for the girl." he said, loud enough for the others to hear. Carol looked up with incredulous joy. Dale and Andrea looked to him too.

"I'm coming too. It's my RV." Dale said. Andrea just smiled and put a hand on Carol's shoulder.

"I could help." Katie said, somewhat quietly. Carol stepped up to her, putting her arms around her.

"I appreciate your concern. I really do." she said, breaking away to look Katie in the eyes. "But you can't do much with your foot like that."

Katie sighed, nodding. She felt useless, and that made her angry. She hobbled away from them, wincing with every step. She gazed around at the new surroundings, taking everything in.

"At least it's pretty." she muttered. Katie spotted the stable once more. She chewed her lip, wondering if it would be alright to go see the horses. She had ridden one once as a child, and fell in love with the large, gentle creatures.

"You like it?"

Katie jumped as someone took her arm. It was a teen girl, probably fifteen years old. Her pale blonde hair was pulled away from her face, but a few locks were escaping the elastic band. She beamed at her, and Katie gave her a quick grin in return.

"You're lucky. Sometimes I wished I grew up on a farm." she replied.

"It's a lot of work. I'm Beth." she said, putting Katie's arm over her shoulders. "You must be the one with the broken foot."

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Katie. How'd you know?" she answered self-consciously.

"The Asian boy told Maggie, and she told me to come help you." Beth replied. She led Katie up the porch steps, and an older woman stood by the screen door. She opened it, looking Katie up and down, lined eyes coming to rest at Katie's feet.

"You are a mess, honey. Come on, you need some ice on that." she said.

"You have ice?" Katie asked, bewildered. The woman gave a short laugh.

"Yes, and we're gonna use it on your foot."

The woman, whose name was Patricia, led Katie into the dining room. She wrapped a handful of ice in a hand towel, instructing Katie to hold it on her injury, propped up on another chair. When the cold towel touched her foot, Katie felt a wave of relief sweep over her. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes. A chair, a house, and ice. It was almost too good to be true. Then she remembered why they were here, and her good mood was choked. Rick's son, Carl, was lying in the other room, fighting for his life. She heard footsteps, and opened her eyes.

"How ya feelin', Kat?" Rick asked. He looked gaunt and sick; his skin was pale and he was sweating.

"How are _you_ feeling, Rick?" she asked, sitting up as best as she could. "How is Carl? Is he okay?"

"Hershel says he's gonna try and remove the bullet fragments. It's risky. We've had two blood transfusions already." he replied. He nodded at her. "What happened to you?"

"Let's focus on you, Rick." Katie said, shaking her head. She pushed out another chair with her foot, he sat down and put his face in his hands.

"Shane went out to get medical supplies with the man who shot Carl." Rick said through his fingers, looking to the side at the cabinets. Katie sucked in her lower lip, taking in the information. Rick was obviously exhausted, and straining to remain calm.

"Look at it this way," Katie said, adjusting the ice, "we found a doctor, and a safe place to spend a night. It's not all bad. Right?"

Rick nodded, but it didn't seem like he believed her. He stood as more footsteps announced the arrival of a third party. Lori stepped into view, looking only a little better than Rick. He moved to hold her instantly, Lori looking over his shoulder at Katie for a minute before shutting her eyes. She led him away, back to their son. Katie pressed the ice a little harder onto her injury, enjoying the feel of it on her skin.

"There she is."


	14. Chapter 14

Katie twisted her head around to see Patricia lead T-Dog and Glenn into the dining room. His wound was covered with a small patch of gauze and eletrical tape. He sat at the end of the table, while Patricia stepped into the kitchen. He chuckled.

"Look at us," he said, waving his other arm lazily. "between the two of us we should be dead."

Katie creased her brow, flicking her gaze to Glenn.

"He's got a fever." he explained, shrugging. "Dale says it's a blood infection."

"Well, we'll get it cleaned and stitched and he should be just fine." said Patricia, re-entering the room with a needle, thread, and a bowl of water. Over her shoulder was a worn out hand towel. "And keep ice on that foot, I'll look at it after I'm done."

Another girl came in with her, close to Katie and Glenn's age. She sat down across from Katie, tucking her a piece of short brown hair behind her ear. Patricia pulled up a chair next to T-Dog, turning his arm over. She removed the gauze; the sight made her cringe. The gash was oozing yellow fluid, the veins surrounding the area were discolored and clearly visible. T-Dog groaned as Patricia began cleaning the wound, dipping the towel in the bowl and wiping his arm carefully. Katie scrunched up her nose at it, strangely unable to turn her head as the ooze was cleared. It was when Patricia set the towel aside and picked up the needle that Katie found the strength to turn away.

"Oh, gosh. I hate stitches." She squirmed in her seat, screwing her eyes shut. T-Dog's sharp intake of breath told her Patricia had begun sewing the wound close.

"Have you had them before?" Glenn asked. Katie nodded.

"Yeah, when I had my appendix removed. They itched like crazy. And when they removed them.." She shuddered, unable to finish her sentence. T-Dog snorted.

"At least you were alseep when they put 'em in."

"True." Katie agreed, lifting the ice to look at her foot. Patricia clucked her tongue, nodding at the other girl.

"Don't you touch it, Katie. Maggie, would you take a look at Miss Katie's foot. She thinks it's broken."

Katie did as she was told, a grin cracking her features at being scolded. Maggie got up and moved around the table to Katie's side.

"Hi," she said, picking up Katie's foot and sitting in the chair it was on.

"Hi, I'm Katie Winters." she replied, holding out her hand for her to shake. Maggie took it.

"Maggie Green. Nice to meet you."

She took away the makeshift icepack, gently taking Katie's foot and turning it in the light. Maggie put her fingers on different areas, applying pressure.

"So that medication you have, is it yours? Merle Dixon it says." Patricia asked T-Dog.

"No, he's no longer with us." Glenn piped up from the doorway. "His brother Daryl gave it to us."

"What was it for?" she inquired.

"Clap." Glenn answered obediently. He glanced at Maggie, who hid a smile as she raised her eyebrows. He stuttered as he continued. " An infection. That-that's what Daryl told us."

Maggie sucked in her lips, seemingly to avoid laughing. Glenn hurried from the room, hiding his face behind his hand. Katie almost giggled herself, but gasped instead as Maggie touched the spot where the water jug had connected with her.

"What happened exactly?" Maggie asked, quickly releasing her. Katie scrunched up her face once more.

"I dropped a giant water jug on it." she said. This time Maggie did laugh; and to her surprise she heard Patricia chuckle as well. Then Katie found herself laughing; and soon the whole room was filled with it.

"A cut on my arm, and an oversized water bottle. What a day." T-Dog chortled, grunting again as Patricia went back to stitching. Katie nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's not broken, or it may be just hairline fracture. You'll probably be able to walk on it in a week or two." Maggie said, standing and putting Katie's foot back on the chair. "Just s'long as you keep ice on it and keep off 'your feet for 'while. We've got some bandages you can wrap it up in."

"Thank you, that's good news." said Katie, wiggling her toes experimentally. She put the ice back on it, adjusting it until it had reached a comfortable point. Maggie grinned, leaving the room. Patricia stood, putting a hand on her hip.

"Well, that oughta do it, Mister Douglas. Now just keep takin' that medicine, and you'll be fine." She gathered up her things, tossing the towel in the bowl. T-Dog ran his fingers lightly over the stitches.

"Now you look tough." Katie commented. T-Dog raised an eyebrow, shaking his head at her. Patricia glanced at her.

"I'm goin' to see if Hershel needs me right now, and then I'll bring you somethin' to wrap your foot in. Leave the ice on for just a little while longer, alright?"

"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Katie responded obediently. T-Dog left as well, leaving Katie alone in the dining room. She fiddled with the loose threads of her cutoffs, braiding them together. Her lip twitched as she thought of Sophia, alone in the woods. _I hope she found somewhere safe to spend the night. _Daryl's face flashed in her mind. _That's right, he's looking for her. Along with Andrea and Dale. I hope they stay safe. Poor Carol, I can hardly imagine her pain._

She remembered losing Jake, and she blinked rapidly to avoid tearing up. Katie heard voices in the other room, and thought of Carl. _Poor kids. Why is this happening to the frickin' kids? Us fine, but don't do this to the children._

_That's not what you're _really_ thinking._

"Who's there?" Katie demanded, whispering. She looked around wide-eyed; the room was empty.

_Tut, tut, Katie. You know who it is._

"No, I don't." she replied, turning her head this way and that, desperate to identify it's source.

_Soon, Katie. Soon._

"Leave me alone!" she said, a little louder. She heard the voice snicker, and more footsteps. Maggie walked back into the room, holding some medical supplies. She looked at Katie strangely, who was busy inwardly cursing herself.

"I'm sorry." Katie said aloud, looking at her lap in shame.

"Are you alright? I just brought you some bandges." Maggie replied, setting the supplies on the table. She put a hand on the back of a chair. Katie shook her head.

"I think I've been awake too long is all. Thank you for the bandages."

"Just make sure you get some rest." Maggie said. "G'night."

She left. Katie wrinkled up her entire face, feeling her cheeks turn red. She began dressing her foot, wrapping the gauze all over to ensure she got proper support while it was healing. Thinking of the voice, she vowed to never acknowledge it again.


	15. Chapter 15

Katie slept, much to the confusion of her group, in back of Carol's Cherokee, instead of bunking in a tent like the rest of them. She had no sleeping bag, instead nestling among the spare supplies, curling into the familiar ball she was used to. The next morning, she found herself awake long before the rest of the group. She sat on the porch of the farmhouse, watching the sun rise over the farmland.

_And not a walker in sight._ she thought. Katie rested her chin in the palm of her hand, smiling at the thought. The screen door clacked behind her.

"Oh!" Patricia gasped at seeing Katie sitting on the steps. "I didn't know you would be up yet."

"I've kinda always been an early bird." Katie replied, smiling. "Especially nowadays."

"Well, um, yes I suppose." Patricia glanced away. "How is your foot doing this morning?"

"Better, the pain isn't that sharp." Katie admitted, looking down at it and moving it experimentally. Patricia began down the steps.

"Well, that's good. Just rest up now." she said, "I've got to go look after a cow in the barn."

"I could help you." Katie said, rising.

"No, no, no. That's alright. She's not too fond of strangers, and I don't want to stress her." Patricia insisted, putting out a hand to stop Katie from standing. Katie looked at her quizzically, but sat back down.

"Um, alright then. Let me know if you change your mind."

Patricia nodded and gave her a quick wave. Katie raised an eyebrow, frowning. _That was really weird. _she thought. Sighing, Katie shrugged. _I guess she's usually the only one up in the morning. _

_ Yeah. Right._

Katie shook her head vigorously, screwing her eyes shut. She refused to say anything, getting up immediately and walking towards the group's little camp just a few feet away. She sat on the tailgate of the Cherokee, gazing out across the land. She looked over over to the stable, chewing her lip. Making up her mind, she started for it, hobbling along and humming to herself.

The stable was peaceful, and Katie found the smell of horse comforting. There were four horses total, standing quietyl in their stalls, munching on hay or dozing. Katie entered the stall of a bay horse, who whickered softly at her.

"Hello, pretty boy." She said quietly, putting a hand out for him to smell. "What's your name?"

The horse huffed at her hand, taking a step closer and knocking his head against her shoulder. She chuckled, rubbing his neck. The horse stretched his neck out farther, and Katie laughed aloud as he opened his lips when she scratched his neck farther still. When she stopped, he turned his head and looked at her.

"What? You didn't want me to stop, huh?" She began scratching his neck again, speaking in a silly tone. "Did you, buddy? You just want me to pet you forever. Right? Right, Jake?"

She stopped suddenly, and the horse turned to look at her again. She kept a hand on him, her shoulders sinking as the memory of her beloved pet came back to her. Katie shook her head again as tears began to well in her eyes.

"No. I can't." she said to herself. The horse made a soft sound. Katie gave him a few more pats, then exited his stall. She left the stable, and saw across the way that the group was now awake. Carol saw facing her; they waved at each other. Katie watched as Carol then pointed to her, and everyone turned to see her. Katie raised an eyebrow. _Guess I should have told somebody where I was going. _To her surprise, Daryl strode towards her.

"Just so you know, it ain't too smart to hobble around in a strange place, an' not tell anybody where you are. " he snapped, leaning over her. "Already out lookin' for one little girl, don't need to try an' fin' you too."

"I…" she started, but he had already swaggered off, his crossbow slung over his shoulder. Katie pouted, watching him leave. She wasn't a child, and certainly didn't need him to look after her. She stormed, as best she could, towards the camp, growing more irritated the more she thought about it.

"Good morning, Kat." Carol said, pouring water into a pot. Katie huffed.

"Yeah, morning." She sat with a thump in the grass beside her. Carol laughed.

"A lover's quarrel?" she joked. Katie looked up at her sharply.

"No! He scolded me like a little kid. Lover's quarrel, haha."

Carol nodded, though she was still smiling. She set the pot over a fire they had made.

"They're letting us build a fire in their front yard?" Katie asked.

"For the time being, at least. It's so peaceful here, I love it." Carol replied, pausing in her work to look around at the scenery. She put a few hunks of meat into the pot, then put a cover over it. Standing straight, she put her hands on her hips. Carol smiled at Katie.

"Would you keep an eye on that for me? I've got to go get some more water."

Katie nodded silently, and Carol walked off. She dew her knees under her, pulling up grass and breaking it. She peered into the pot, crinkling her nose at the contents.

"Mornin' Kat." said Rick, striding up to her. He turned his head, looking at the scenery.

"Good morning Rick," Katie replied, "what's up?"

"Hershel said they're going to have a memorial service for Otis today. I told him we would help any way we could."

Katie's lip twitched. They had told her last night what had happened at the high school. Shane and Otis went for supplies, and only Shane came back. She had never seen Otis, but she respected him for his bravery.

"So what are we going to do?" she asked.

"They've already started gathering rocks for the memorial. They're going to have a service when it's finished. I would appreciate it if everyone was there." Rick said, giving her a sideways glance. She squinted up at him, seeing the bags under his eyes.

"So Carl's okay?"

"He's goin' to be jus' fine." Rick dipped his head.

"We're lucky." Katie got to her feet a little wobbily. Rick caught her by the arm, helping her get steady.

"Doin' okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just gotta remember not to put too much pressure on it." she said. "It's really fine."

The cermony was awkward, to say the least. Katie stood quietly, fidgeting as Hershel read a psalm from the Bible. She frowned at the tears coursing down Patricia's cheeks. _I feel so bad. Poor Patricia. I wish I knew something to say to comfort her. _she thought. She looked over at Shane, and his face surprised her. It didn't look sympathetic, or sad. _He looks guilty. Really guilty. _

Author's Note- Woahhhh, gettin' instense right? To you, my faithful readers, I thank you. I'm sorry that my updating has slacked off so badly, I've been out of sorts lately, and I don't want the quality of my work to go down for the sake of views. But anyway, please leave reviews and/or comments for me. I love reading what you think :) it's inspiring me to write more.


	16. Chapter 16

After the ceremony, Katie stood looking at the large pile of rocks substituting for Otis' grave. She sighed, adding another rock to the pile.

"I never knew you, never even met you," she said, keeping her hand on the rock. "But thank you. It takes a lot to sacrifice a life for a stranger. Something most people don't have."

"Well said."

Katie looked to see Dale standing there, one hand on his hip. He clapped a hand on her shoulder, giving her a little shake. Katie pulled up the corners of her mouth as best she could. They began to make their way back to camp.

"So I don't know about you, but does Shane seem funny to you?" Katie asked him, keeping her voice low. He snapped his face towards her, nodding.

"I think that story he gave us was a lie. Something's not right about him, certainly." Dale replied. Katie frowned.

"Now I'm not sure if I'd go that far, but he's definitely troubled." she said. Shane stood near Rick and Daryl, gathered around a pickup. They seemed to be discussing something, pointing to the hood of the truck. Hershel was with them, his solemn eyes on Rick. She focused on his face, trying to read him. The old farmer seemed reluctant, and folded his arms across his chest. Katie frowned; it didn't look good.

Katie was throwing bits of grass into the fire when Rick came striding back over. Shane followed him, indignant anger stamped on his face.

"What's up?" she asked, nodding at them.

"Hershel has asked us to give up our guns." Rick said, glancing at the ground quickly. There was an immediate uproar.

"Give up our weapons? You're joking." Andrea was the first, looking from Rick to Shane incredulously.

"What if Walkers come?" Glenn asked. Katie was suddenly more aware of how open a place the farm was; they could be spotted from a mile away.

"I'd rather not be defenseless, if that's alright." she added.

"Now, we're not going to be defenseless. We're safe here." Rick said, holding out his hands. "Everybody just calm down."

"Calm? You 'spect me to jus' hand over our weapons, to put ourselves in the hands of these farmers? Rick—" Shane ranted, getting close to Rick and gesturing wildly.

"This is his land, we go by his rules." Rick shot back. Shane shook his head, storming away from everyone. Katie stood, a little shakily.

"Alright." she said. Everybody looked at her. "Alright."

Katie walked over to the Cherokee and pulled out her backpack. The Colt felt heavier in her hands. She sighed, striding back to Rick. Katie looked eyes with him as she placed it in his hand. Then she sat back down, looking at everyone. They, one by one, all handed in what firearms they had. Rick nodded at Katie; she gave him a half-smile. _I stilhave my crowbar. _She thought, watching as the group slowly dispersed. Katie looked at the trees, suddenly they seemed more menancing. She shook her head to rid herself of the dark thoughts.

Katie saw Daryl heading off into the woods, crossbow slung over his shoulder. Rick and Shane were gone as well, and she knew the search for Sophia was continuing.

"I wish I could help." she said. Carol looked up from the pot. She smiled, though Katie could see the pain in her eyes.

"You are." she said. Katie smiled back. She laid down, staring up into the tree above them. Smoke drifted through the branches, fogging the winking rays of the sun. She sighed, wiggling the toes of her injured foot. The pain she felt as a response made her sigh again, chewing her lip. Katie wondered how long it would be before she could put weight on it. Before she could run.

"Brought you some more ice."

Katie sat up to see the teen girl, Beth, walking up with a bundle of cloth. She handed it to her, giving her a sly once-over as she did so. Katie caught her gaze.

"Thank you very much, you didn't have t-"

"Daddy told me to." Beth cut in, "How can you expect to survive like that?"

Katie was taken aback. She had not expected the sweet-faced girl to be so blunt. Carol stopped what she was doing to look up in surprise. Before either of them could speak, Beth had trotted up into the house, disappearing behind the screen door. Katie turned to Carol.

"The hell was that about?"

"I don't have any idea." Carol replied, shaking her head.

Later in the day found Katie walking along the fence in the pasture, dragging her injured foot in the dirt, almost enjoying the pattern she was making. The few cows left were grazing peacefully, none even bothered to look up as she passed.

"Can animals get infected?" she asked aloud. One of them raised it head, flicking an ear in her direction. She chuckled. "I bet you can't."

She continued her walk, gazing ahead at the approaching treeline. Something flicked; bushes moved. Katie stopped, rubbing her eyes. She looked back at camp, and saw Andrea sitting atop the RV, facing the open field before her. Katie turned back, and something came shuffling out of the wood.

***Author's Note- Oh wow, it has been way too long since I posted. Sorry about that, I've been doing a lot of other things. :) Thanks for keeping up with it


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